Finding infusion partnerships that directly impact NASA missions or needs

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Finding infusion partnerships that directly impact NASA missions or needs

NASA missions further gained benefits gleaned from many infusion agreements with other non-NASA organizations in FY07. Contractual agreements with external organizations may be in the form of a Space Act Agreement (SAA), Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), Interagency Agreement, or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Whatever form they take, these agreements are designed to directly benefit NASA mission or research needs.

The table below summarizes other infusion agreements signed in FY07. These agreements are identified as infusion because of the many benefits they offer NASA mission needs, but they also offer technology transfer benefits to partner organizations, building mutually beneficial relationships that help support complementary goals.

Company / Organization	Technology	Infusion Benefits for NASA	Missions Impacted

3 separate agreements: University of Oxford, University of California Observatories, and The Aerospace Company	Cryogenic High-Accuracy Refraction Measuring System (CHARMS) Facility	NASA will obtain new refractive index data to improve optical designs for cryogenic operation without investing research funds, and also will receive financial reimbursement for use of the facility.	All NASA missions operating at cryogenic temperatures can benefit from the measurement findings. In particular, the JWST and Kepler Photometer missions have benefited from CHARMS measurements.
Ball Aerospace	Digital Signal Processor (DSP) cluster, optics	NASA may be able to integrate Ball’s algorithms into optical image processing systems for future missions.	The collaboratively created image-processing systems may benefit.
Hampton University	Handheld Sun Photometer	The agreement meets a NASA mission need and may provide royalties if/when NASA patents the technology.	The collaboratively created photometer will benefit the CALIPSO and GLOBE projects.
LogicNets	Artificially intelligent robotic system	NASA will have the potential to define and test many important exploration scenarios using the proposed robotic test system, including exploration and monitoring of land and water surfaces as well as planetary exploration.	Any NASA planetary exploration tion mission may potentially benefit.
Lockheed Martin	“Navigator” GPS receiver	The work aims to reduce risk for NASA missions requiring onboard navigation using GPS in geo-stationary orbit.	GOES-R and other missions may benefit from the GPS capabilities provided.